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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28564008">Birds All Sing As If They Knew</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonivory/pseuds/poisonivory'>poisonivory</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Green Arrow (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Curtain Fic, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Seriously I Cannot Overstate How Fluffy This Is, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Weddings, no beta we die like robins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:27:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,086</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28564008</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonivory/pseuds/poisonivory</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He was pouring hot water into Roy’s mug when Roy froze. It took Jason a minute to realize why, and then he promptly poured water all over the counter.</p><p>“Did you just propose?” he asked.</p><p>“Did you just accept?” Roy retorted.</p><p>-</p><p>It was supposed to be a simple City Hall ceremony. But when has family ever been simple?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Roy Harper/Jason Todd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>117</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>567</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay, so I never do this, but this is legitimately a WIP, in that it's not finished, I don't know how long it will be, and I'm not sure when it will update. I just wanted to have somewhere to put the most absolutely self-indulgent, fluff-tastic, conflict-free nonsense I could think of for these two, and so you get slice of life found family wedding fic, updated...irregularly, I guess? Let's all find out together!</p><p>Various Bats and Arrows will be added to the tags as they appear (and they will <i>all</i> appear, much to Roy and Jason's chagrin). Title is from "Going to the Chapel" by the Dixie Cups.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Minor CW: Roy and Jason discuss homophobic microaggressions.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jason was unloading the dishwasher so he could put the dirty dishes from dinner in it when Roy came in from putting Lian to bed. “Hey, what are you doing tomorrow afternoon?” Roy asked.</p><p>Jason’s eyes slid skyward as he thought. “Nothing, I don’t think. My Tuesday class is a morning one. I was gonna work on a paper, but I’ve still got a week before it’s due. Why, what’s up?”</p><p>“I forgot I promised Ollie I’d swing by the youth center, give the kids the ‘don’t do drugs’ talk, and Lian has a dentist appointment,” Roy said, grabbing a couple fistfuls of clean silverware and sorting them into the organizer in the cutlery drawer. “Can you pick her up from school and take her to the dentist?”</p><p>“Sure—wait, fuck, no,” Jason corrected himself.</p><p>Roy’s face fell. “You’ve got a thing?”</p><p>“No, I’m free as a bird. It’s the dentist. We tried this six months ago at her last cleaning, remember?” Jason said. “They wouldn’t talk to me because my name’s not on the paperwork. Acted like I was a kidnapper who was really invested in my victim’s dental health. You had to come all the way across town before they would admit she didn’t have any cavities.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah,” Roy said, dropping the last butter knife into its place. “Shit.”</p><p>“The school still gets squirrely when I pick her up, too,” Jason said. “I’m on the approved list, but…” It was stupid to let it bother him, after everything he’d been through, that even though Lian always came racing into his arms, her teachers still tended to give him the hairy eyeball. It bothered him anyway.</p><p>“Which is such <i>bullshit</i>, because I asked the girls, and they never have any problem picking her up.” Roy meant Mia, Cissie, and Emiko, who formed a rotating army of babysitters when his and Jason’s uncertain schedules called them away from home. He put on a smile that Jason could tell was hollow. “It must be because you’re so dangerously sexy.”</p><p>Jason huffed. “A lot of things are because I’m so dangerously sexy, but not that.”</p><p>The dishwasher successfully emptied, Jason started loading it with dirty dishes, and Roy put on the kettle for tea. “There’s like four other kids in Lian’s class that have two mommies or daddies,” Roy said hesitantly.</p><p>“Of course there are, her school’s in Adams Heights. Liberal yuppie paradise.” Jason closed the dishwasher. “It’s not that. It’s all paperwork. If her name was Lian Harper-Todd they wouldn’t give a shit. Probably the dentist, too.”</p><p>Roy rolled his eyes. “Has anyone told them that marriage is an archaic institution laden with sexist and heterosexist baggage, and a bit of paperwork never proved anyone’s commitment or parental fitness?”</p><p>“I’m sure Ollie has if he’s made it down there, considering I’m pretty sure you’re directly quoting him,” Jason said, and Roy gave him a guilty smile. “Hell, I agree with him. But Dr. Grell and Ms. Smith apparently don’t.”</p><p>“<i>Ugh</i>.” Roy dug his phone out of his pocket and started going through his schedule. “I can’t go to the youth center on Wednesday, I’ve got a consult with Amanda Waller and you do <i>not</i> cancel on the Wall. And I wanted to go to a meeting on Thursday.”</p><p>“Don’t skip that,” Jason said immediately. “We’ll figure something out.”</p><p>“Sure,” Roy said, still looking at his phone. “You want to just elope tomorrow morning? Or hell, whenever, considering I don’t think we can get a license in time to show the fucking dentist. But she’ll need more cleanings eventually.”</p><p>The kettle shrilled and Jason went for the mugs and a couple boxes of tea—chamomile for him, and that gross mango pineapple stuff Roy liked. “Yeah, okay. Ollie’ll be pissed I’m letting down the side, though.”</p><p>He was pouring hot water into Roy’s mug when Roy froze. It took Jason a minute to realize why, and then he promptly poured water all over the counter.</p><p>“Did you just propose?” he asked.</p><p>“Did you just accept?” Roy retorted.</p><p>They stared at each other. Jason waited for Roy to laugh, to point out how ridiculous the very idea was, to remind Jason that it had been a <i>joke</i>.</p><p>But Roy didn’t do any of those things. He just stared back at Jason, his eyes wide and undeniably nervous.</p><p>“Well, fuck,” Jason said, trying to figure out what facial expression he was supposed to be making and failing miserably. “I guess we’re engaged, then.”</p><p>Roy lunged for him, fingers sinking into his hair as his mouth found Jason’s, and Jason kissed back as he flailed blindly with the kettle, trying to put it back on the stove before he poured boiling water onto their feet. He managed it after a minute, and then there was nothing but Roy’s mouth and Roy’s hands and the blissful scratch of Roy’s late evening stubble against Jason’s palms as he cupped his <i>fiance’s</i> cheeks and kissed him breathless.</p><p>It was a very long time before either of them found their words again. The tea was horribly oversteeped. Jason didn’t care.</p><p>“I meant it, about the eloping,” Roy said when they were tangled on the couch, Jason dragging his fingers through the fiery strands of Roy’s hair. It was getting long again. Jason loved it. “We don’t have to do, like. The whole rigamarole. The Queen-Wayne social event of the season.”</p><p>Jason shuddered. “God, no. Though it would be Wayne-Queen. We’re richer than you, we come first.” Roy laughed and pinched his side. “We’ll just go to City Hall with Lian and, I dunno, grab a witness off the street or something.”</p><p>“Pretty sure they provide you with a witness,” Roy said, looking amused, before his expression went nervous again. “But listen, about Lian…”</p><p>Jason couldn’t help tensing. “Do you think she’ll be upset?”</p><p>“Are you kidding? She’ll be thrilled, she’s crazy about you,” Roy said. “No, I was wondering...I mean, as long as we’re getting the paperwork squared away...how would you feel about adopting her?”</p><p>For the second time that night, Jason stared at him. “What?”</p><p>Roy squirmed. “Well, I mean, you’re already her parent in everything but name. We live together. We’re getting married. It might get rid of some red tape, and not to be morbid, but I’d like to know that if anything happens to me, she’ll be able to stay with you without it getting all <i>Kramer vs. Kramer</i>.”</p><p>It made sense. Cheshire had lost her custody rights when she was convicted of nuking Qurac. Roy’s only living blood relative was a clone of his great-uncle who Lian barely knew. And as much as Jason didn’t like to think about the possibility of Roy dying, they lived dangerous lives.</p><p>Still… “You would really want me to be her dad?” <i>Trust</i> me to be her dad, was what he really meant. He was already shit at being a son, how could he possibly be anyone’s <i>father?</i></p><p>“Jason.” Roy’s smile was so soft it was hard to look at it. “You’re already her dad.”</p><p>Jason’s eyes stung, and he blinked rapidly to clear them. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah. Sounds good.”</p><p>*</p><p>They broached the subject to Lian the next evening, when they were putting her to bed. Jason had insisted, and Roy hadn’t fought him on it. She was eight years old, after all; old enough to understand what they wanted to do, and to have some say in it.</p><p>Roy suspected Jason was just trying to give Lian a chance to say no. It hurt, a bit, to think that Jason was so convinced that she would despite how obvious it was to Roy that Lian adored Jason, but a lifetime of self-loathing wasn’t cured overnight.</p><p>When Lian was tucked in with her eight hundred stuffed animals and had read a chapter of <i>Alice in Wonderland</i> aloud to them, Roy squeezed her foot through the blanket and said, “We have some exciting news.”</p><p>“We’re getting a puppy?” Lian asked, her eyes lighting up.</p><p>“What? No. You have George at Grandpa Ollie’s, he’s worth like twelve puppies.”</p><p>“We’re getting a horse?” Lian asked, undaunted.</p><p>“Ha. Nice try.” Roy glanced at Jason, perched beside him on Lian’s little twin bed. “Uncle Jay and I are getting married.”</p><p>Lian’s mouth dropped open as her gaze flicked back and forth between them. “You are?” she asked, and Roy nodded, smiling even though he could feel Jason going tense beside him. Maybe he’d read this wrong and Jason had been right. After all, Lian loved Jason, but little kids weren’t huge fans of change, and Lian had already had plenty of upheaval in her short life.</p><p>But then Lian <i>beamed</i> and she flung herself forward, clambering over Roy’s lap to get to Jason. “Does that mean you’re staying forever?” she asked, flinging her arms around his middle.</p><p>Jason gave her a startled hug. “Of course I am, princess,” he said. “Did you think I wasn’t?” He glanced at Roy over her head, and Roy shrugged. He hadn’t known that was a concern of Lian’s either, although considering he could never quite shake the same fear from the back of his own mind, maybe she’d just picked it up from him.</p><p>She was certainly her father’s daughter in some ways, because she ignored Jason’s question about her anxieties completely. “Can I be the flower girl? Can I get a twirly dress and a flower crown?”</p><p>Jason gave Roy another look. Oh, sure. Let Roy be the bad guy. “We’re not having a wedding, bug,” he said. “You don’t need a big party to be married, you just need to go to City Hall and sign some papers. And a big party takes a long time to plan, and we wanted to be married to each other right away. So there isn’t going to be a flower girl, or bridesmaids, or anything like that.”</p><p>“Oh,” Lian said, her face falling. Roy felt bad, but he and Jason had been in agreement: no wedding. No spending thousands of dollars on a single night. No gathering dozens of superheroes and their loved ones in one place like an invitation to the villains of the world to attack—as if Roy had learned <i>nothing</i> from Ollie and Dinah’s wedding, or Dick and Kory’s. No drama with Bruce or Ollie or <i>anyone</i>. They would get married, they would present it as a fait accompli to their families, and anyone who had a problem with that could keep it to themselves.</p><p>But Lian looked so <i>disappointed…</i></p><p>“You’re going to come with us, though,” Roy added. “So we can still get you a new twirly dress, and go out for a fancy dinner afterwards.” They had planned on the dinner; a party dress Lian would grow out of in a week and a half, not so much, but Jason was even more of a sucker for her than Roy was, so he wasn’t likely to object.</p><p>“And cake?” she asked. “You <i>hafta</i> have wedding cake.”</p><p>“We can <i>definitely</i> have cake,” Jason said. Roy watched him take a deep breath. “Also...one of the other things they do at City Hall is adoption paperwork, so your daddy and I thought it might be nice if, um, while we were there…” He smoothed Lian’s hair down like he thought it might be the last time. “Well, if I adopted you.”</p><p>Lian turned a betrayed look on Roy, startling him again. “Where are you going?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Why is Uncle Jay adopting me? Why are you leaving? You’re not supposed to leave, that’s why you get married!”</p><p>“Oh, sweetie, no,” Roy breathed, leaning in to cup her cheek. Of course she would think that, given Jade’s absence from her life. Hell, Roy wasn’t convinced she didn’t subconsciously remember <i>his</i> absence from her infancy. “I’m not going anywhere. Never ever. If Uncle Jay adopts you, he’ll be your dad <i>as well as</i> me. Not instead of.”</p><p>The creases on her forehead smoothed out. “Oh. Like Aiden in my class has two daddies, and Emma and Olivia both have two mommies.”</p><p>“Exactly like that.” Roy kissed the top of her head. “You goose.”</p><p>She looked up at Jason. “Do I still call you Uncle Jay?”</p><p>Jason still kind of looked like he thought a bomb was going to go off at any second. “You can call me whatever you like. But...is that okay with you? If I adopt you?”</p><p>“Course,” she said, shrugging lightly. “It’s a lot easier to explain two daddies than a daddy and a special uncle. And I already have <i>so many</i> uncles. What kind of cake are we getting?”</p><p>Roy and Jason both burst out laughing, and Jason curled around Lian in a hug, turning to shine a relieved smile in Roy’s direction. And if his eyes were a little wet, Roy knew better to comment.</p><p>“Whatever kind you want, princess,” Jason said. “Whatever kind you want.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Jason's taking classes because he went back to school and is studying comparative literature at Star City University. The meeting Roy's referring to is Narcotics Anonymous.</p><p>Next up: Dinah and Alfred!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It turned out that there was more paperwork involved in getting married than Roy had expected, and more waiting. Between that and their own hectic schedules, he and Jason weren’t able to actually seal the deal as quickly as they’d originally planned. And the more time that went by, the more Roy started to have second thoughts.</p>
<p>Not about marrying Jason. He wanted to marry Jason more than he’d ever wanted anything, besides custody of Lian. But he wasn’t so sure about the guest list—or rather, the lack thereof. “We’ll just do it and tell everyone later” had sounded great when curled up in bed with Jason, still riding the high of “hey we just got engaged” sex. But increasingly, the thought of marrying the man he loved without his family there—of the man he loved adopting his <i>daughter</i> without his family there—made him feel unsettled and oddly guilty.</p>
<p>It was just a City Hall wedding, he reminded himself. It wasn’t like he was throwing a party and leaving them off the guest list. And Ollie and Dinah certainly weren’t big proponents of wedded bliss, not after their disastrous attempt at it.</p>
<p>Still, it didn’t sit right with him.</p>
<p>He was gnawing over it one morning after putting Lian on the schoolbus, watching Jason get ready for class. “What’s that look for?” Jason asked, stuffing his tablet and two notebooks into his backpack. “You look like you’re trying to do math, except you’re good at math. You look like <i>me</i> trying to do math.”</p>
<p>“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Roy said, trying to smooth out his forehead. Jason raised an eyebrow. “Okay, fine, it’s...I told Dinah I’d have lunch with her today, and I feel weird not telling her about, you know. Us getting married.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Jason said, looking a little surprised.</p>
<p>“You know, it’s one thing if we just impulse did it in Vegas and then told people,” Roy said. “But this way, knowing I have this news and not sharing it...I don’t know. It feels a little like lying.”</p>
<p>Jason opened his mouth.</p>
<p>“I’m not saying we have to change our plans,” Roy said quickly, worried that Jason would think he was getting cold feet. “I really don’t want a big wedding, and inviting our families is going to be a huge headache, and I’m definitely not saying I want to tell Ollie because it’ll be all over the superhero gossip network in thirty seconds if we do and—”</p>
<p>“Roy, you can tell Dinah,” Jason cut in, looking both amused and exasperated. “It’s fine. How long have you been stressing over this?”</p>
<p>“I haven’t been...stressing,” Roy said, and Jason raised his eyebrow again. “Okay. A bit.”</p>
<p>“Idiot,” Jason said fondly, walking over to kiss his cheek. “Can’t believe you’re acting like I’m some kind of bridezilla when we’re not even having an actual wedding.”</p>
<p>“You’d be a gloriously terrifying bridezilla, Jaybird.”</p>
<p>“You know it.” Jason kissed him again, this time on the lips. “Seriously, though. Just because I don’t want to make a big deal about it doesn’t mean we have to go all cloak and dagger.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to make a big deal about it either,” Roy said. “I just...it’s <i>Dinah</i>.”</p>
<p>“So tell her. Just not Ollie, because you’re right, he’d tell everyone.” Jason paused. “Or shit, don’t tell <i>Mia</i>.”</p>
<p>Roy’s eyes widened. “Fuck no, she’s even worse.”</p>
<p>“My point exactly.”</p>
<p>A few hours later found Roy meeting Dinah for lunch at a tiny Vietnamese place around the corner from the flower shop. They’d ordered their pho and were making the usual small talk when Roy suddenly blurted out: “Jason and I are getting married.”</p>
<p>Dinah choked on her iced coffee and hastily put it down, coughing a few times before beaming at Roy with watery eyes. “What? Roy, that’s amazing! Congratulations!” She pushed out of her chair and circled the table to hug him, and he couldn’t help smiling into her hair.</p>
<p>“Thanks,” he said. “You’re not, uh...I know you were a bit worried when I started seeing him.”</p>
<p>“Oh, honey, that was a long time ago,” she said, sitting back down. “And can you really blame me? With your history and his reputation?”</p>
<p>“Listen, just because Barbara Gordon used to shit talk about him—”</p>
<p>“I know, I know,” Dinah said, holding her hands up placatingly. “Like I said, that was a long time ago. I didn’t know him very well. But it’s obvious that he loves the hell out of you, and he’s crazy about Lian.” Her smile went a bit misty. “You were looking for a long time, kiddo, and you finally found him. Of course I’m happy for you.”</p>
<p>Roy had to swallow a few times at that, blinking furiously. Dinah didn’t push him.</p>
<p>“So did you set a date yet?” she asked finally. “Where’s it going to be, here or Gotham?”</p>
<p>Roy coughed. “Yeah, so that’s sort of why I brought it up. We’re just gonna do it at City Hall, get it over with. It’s really not that big a deal,” he added hastily before Dinah could speak. “It doesn’t really change anything about, you know, <i>us</i>. He’s it for me either way. But it’s just easier with Lian if we’re married. He’s going to adopt her too, so, you know.” He made a vague gesture. “Just sort of checking off all the boxes at City Hall at once.”</p>
<p>“I get it,” Dinah said, after a slight pause. “It’s not a bad idea to do it that way. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a big deal.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Roy said, “I mean,” and then took a long sip of his own iced coffee because he didn’t really have an answer. Of course it was a big deal; it was the biggest deal in his life. But that was the marriage and the adoption, not the wedding.</p>
<p>“Anyway,” he said after an awkward pause, “since it’s just a City Hall quickie, we’re not telling anyone about it ahead of time. I mean, besides you, obviously. But if we start inviting people it turns into best men and place settings and matching boutonnieres, and neither of us want that. We’ll just tell everyone after.” God, just picking their best men would be opening a Dick Grayson-shaped can of worms that neither of them particularly wanted to deal with.</p>
<p>“Mm,” Dinah said, her expression inscrutable. Dammit.</p>
<p>Roy gave in and asked the question he’d been avoiding since...well, since he spent ten seconds thinking about this plan he and Jason had come up with. “Ollie won’t care, right? That I didn’t invite him? I mean, it’s not a <i>wedding</i>. It’ll probably take ten minutes. He won’t care.”</p>
<p>Dinah paused again, and when she spoke, she was clearly picking out her words carefully. “Sweetie, this is <i>your</i> wedding. Civil ceremony, whatever. You should do it exactly how you and Jason want to, and if this is what you want, other people’s opinions shouldn’t enter into it.” She reached out and covered his hand with her own. “But he’s going to care. He loves you, and he’s so, so proud of you. He would want to be there.”</p>
<p>Roy sighed. It was the answer he’d expected—and really, it was better than a few years ago, when he would have been certain Ollie didn’t give a shit. But things between him and Ollie were good again, had been for a while.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he said. “I kind of figured.”</p>
<p>“Bruce would want to be there, too, while we’re on the subject,” Dinah added. “Like I said, it’s up to you boys, and you should do what’s right for <i>you</i>. But Bruce is going to be even sulkier than usual, and Ollie’s going to roar like a bear with a stubbed toe, and it’s my duty as a hero to warn you so you can very quickly honeymoon somewhere far away.”</p>
<p>Roy cracked a smile at that. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>“Roy.” Dinah waited until he looked at her. “Do <i>you</i> want Ollie there?”</p>
<p>“Of course I do,” Roy said. Just admitting it felt a little like betraying Jason. “He’s my <i>dad</i>. I want both of you there. But if we invite Ollie, then we have to invite Bruce, and things are so complicated between him and Jason…”</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow. “Does <i>Jason</i> want <i>Bruce</i> there?”</p>
<p>“I think he does, but he’ll never admit it,” Roy said. “You think Ollie and I are bad, you should see the Bats try to talk about their feelings. It’s hilarious.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m well aware,” she said dryly, then snapped her fingers. “Why doesn’t he talk to Alfred? Alfred always knows how to handle Bruce.”</p>
<p>Roy pursed his lips, considering. It wasn’t a bad idea. “Good point,” he said. “I’ll try that, and…” He shrugged, and then huffed out a sigh, as if he could exhale the heaviness of the conversation. “We’ll see. But if this ends up being a giant production and you have to wear a picture hat and one of those little mother-of-the-groom jacket things, you have no one to blame but yourself.”</p>
<p>Dinah smiled at him. “Sweetie, for you I’d even wear my old blue sweatsuit costume.”</p>
<p>Luckily the waiter chose that moment to arrive with their food. If Roy’s eyes were watery again, he could blame it on the sriracha.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Jason watched as the digital clock on his tablet clicked over from 1:09 to 1:10. Okay. It was officially late enough.</p>
<p>He minimized the paper he’d been pretending to write and opened up his video call app. Letting out a breath that was shakier than he’d have liked, he scrolled to the contact he wanted and hit “Call.”</p>
<p>The tablet rang once, twice, then Alfred’s face filled the screen. He was smiling. “Good afternoon, Master Jason. How nice to see you.”</p>
<p>Jason’s shoulders came down marginally. It was hard to be nervous when Alfred was smiling. Not that Jason was nervous. “Hey, Alfie. Did I catch you at a bad time?”</p>
<p>“Not at all. I was just sitting down to tea, as I’m sure you know perfectly well,” Alfred said, holding up one of the manor’s white and gold Wedgwood teacups. It was clear from the little of the room Jason could see behind him that he was seated in the breakfast nook. Jason had spent many afternoons sitting across from him after school, doing his homework and going to town on a plate of cucumber sandwiches.</p>
<p>But that was a lifetime ago, literally. Still, he knew that teatime still started at four, and ten minutes after was just enough time for the kettle to boil and the tea to steep, hence his careful timing.</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s not like no one’s ever stumbled in bleeding at four P.M. instead of four A.M.,” Jason pointed out, and Alfred inclined his head in acknowledgment. “It’s only lunchtime here, but I do have a cup of tea.” He held up the mug of green tea that he was drinking alongside his turkey sandwich.</p>
<p>“It’s been too long since we had tea together,” Alfred said. “I take it you aren’t calling for help with your geometry homework, though?”</p>
<p>“Heh. Nah, I am working on a paper, but I think I can tackle the early Romantics myself.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure you can. I’d love to read it when you’re finished, though.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Jason said, feeling warm. “Uh, sure. If you want.”</p>
<p>Alfred took a bite of a scone—currant, from the look of it. Damn, those were Jason’s favorite. “I take it you were calling for some reason other than sharing a cup of tea? Not that I’m not happy to do that.”</p>
<p>He always could see right through Jason. “No, there’s also, uh…” Jason took a breath. “I’m getting married.”</p>
<p>Alfred blinked—and then <i>beamed</i>, and something small and scared in Jason’s chest evaporated. “Oh, Jason. How wonderful. I’m so very happy for you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Jason asked. His voice came out smaller than he’d expected, and he cleared his throat and tried again. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Of course. I’ve always liked Mr. Harper,” Alfred said. “And Miss Harper is delightful.”</p>
<p>Jason nodded, swallowing around the choked feeling. “I’m adopting her. Also.”</p>
<p>“She’s a very lucky girl.”</p>
<p><i>Shit.</i> Jason took a shaky breath. “I...Roy and I don’t want a wedding. Too much hassle, you know? We just want to…”</p>
<p>“Be married?” Alfred suggested.</p>
<p>“...Yeah,” Jason said softly. “So we’re just going to go to City Hall. And that’s...that’s not a good enough reason to come all the way from Gotham, right? It’ll probably take ten minutes. And I know how busy Br—how busy everyone is.”</p>
<p>“Ah,” Alfred said, and once again Jason had the feeling of being utterly transparent. “Well. I don’t mean to be presumptuous, as I haven’t been invited anywhere...but I would go much farther than Star City if you needed me for <i>one</i> minute, let alone ten.”</p>
<p>Jason had to put his tea down. “Okay,” he said, aware that it was a miserably inadequate response, but unable to pull together anything better.</p>
<p>“Have you told Master Bruce?” Alfred asked.</p>
<p>Jason shook his head.</p>
<p>“Mm.” Alfred sipped his tea. “You and I both know that he has...a demanding schedule, and a tendency to prioritize emergencies as they arise. I can’t promise you that he’ll be there. But he loves you so much, my boy.” His voice wavered, and Jason dug his nails into his palm. “He will be as happy for you as I am, and as proud and honored to know the fine man you’ve grown up to be.”</p>
<p>Jason had to look away for a moment. “Ahh, now you’re just blowing smoke, Alfie,” he finally managed. “We both know I’m the worst kid.”</p>
<p>“I think Mr. Harper would disagree,” Alfred said.</p>
<p>“...Dammit, old man,” Jason said, covering his face with his hand, and just—<i>breathed</i>. Fuck.</p>
<p>Alfred didn’t say anything. The bastard. He was probably eating all the scones, too.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Jason said finally, when he could speak. “Okay. I’ll ask Bruce to come.”</p>
<p>“I won’t say a word until you do,” Alfred promised.</p>
<p>“And I’ll let you know when we pick a date. If you want to come too.”</p>
<p>“I would be delighted.”</p>
<p>Jason nodded, his hand still over his eyes. Alfred gave him another minute, then spoke. “Did I tell you that Master Damian and Master Duke attempted to give Bat-Cow a bath last week?”</p>
<p>Jason laughed shakily and let his hand drop. “Let me guess: it was a disaster?”</p>
<p>“Indeed.”</p>
<p>Taking another steadying breath, Jason picked up his sandwich. Alfred was right, after all. It had been too long since they’d shared a meal. “Tell me about it?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>They're all saps, and so am I.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The dads are informed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jason usually prided himself on his ability to pick a strategic position, but he'd screwed up tonight. He was crouched on a rooftop, eyeing one particular Italian restaurant which had managed to stay in business for a suspiciously long time despite only feeding the occasional customer, most of them with the same last name. From the angle he had chosen, he knew that the clock tower of the Bank of Gotham's downtown branch was directly over his right shoulder. He couldn't check his watch or phone too often and risk the light giving him away, which meant that if he wanted to check the time, he had to turn far enough to look over his shoulder. Which made him painfully aware of how frequently he was doing it.</p>
<p>He was early, he reminded himself, and the man had a whole city to canvas. Gotham had a tendency to upset even the most carefully laid plans—and this wasn't that. This wasn't even all that important, not really.</p>
<p>He would count to five hundred, and then he would look again.</p>
<p>He was in the three hundreds when a whisper of leather and Kevlar told him he could stop counting. It should have been a relief, but it just made his shoulders tighten further.</p>
<p>"Sorry I'm late," Batman rumbled beside him.</p>
<p>"I hadn't noticed," Jason replied.</p>
<p>"Hm." Bruce settled into a crouch. Even hunched over, even though Jason <i>knew</i> Bruce was only an inch taller than him, his presence still made Jason feel small, like he was shivering in pixie boots again. "Anything yet?"</p>
<p>"Couple guys went in, but none of mine."</p>
<p>Jason and Roy usually left the traditional mob business in Star City to Ollie, since he'd been dancing with them for decades at this point. But the West Coast Falcones had somehow gotten their hands on the blueprints to Dominator weaponry left over from the last attempted invasion, and they were using it to bring their tommy guns into the twenty-first century. Or maybe the thirty-first.</p>
<p>Either way, it needed to stop—<i>especially</i> when they decided to bring their East Coast cousins in on the action. Working with Bruce to nip this particular technological advance in the bud just made sense.</p>
<p>And if it was a good excuse to tell him about a certain upcoming appointment at City Hall, well, that was just a coincidence.</p>
<p>"We'll wait until the West Coast branch gets here. No point moving before then," Bruce said.</p>
<p>"I <i>know</i>," Jason snapped, annoyed. "Who brought this case to you, anyway?"</p>
<p>"To <i>my</i> city."</p>
<p>"I was born here too, you know. You—" Jason cut himself off. Fighting with Bruce wasn't the way to lead up to this conversation.</p>
<p>But sometimes—most of the time—he couldn't help himself. Just like Bruce brought out the scrawny twelve-year-old in him, he also brought out the furious nineteen-year-old, the one who wanted to make everyone feel as angry and betrayed and abandoned as he had.</p>
<p>But he wasn't abandoned. He was getting <i>married</i>. He was going to adopt the girl he loved like a daughter. And he wanted Bruce to be there more than he wanted to pick a fight.</p>
<p><i>Slightly</i> more.</p>
<p>Long minutes ticked by while Jason tried to figure out how to start. He wanted to check the clock tower, but resisted.</p>
<p>"What is it?" Bruce asked suddenly.</p>
<p>Jason looked at him. Through the helmet, but he suspected his expression would translate.</p>
<p>"You shift your weight when you want to say something," Bruce said. "It's a tell. You should work on it." He paused. "You used to just bounce up and down when you were twelve, so maybe you <i>have</i> worked on it."</p>
<p><i>Just say it,</i> Jason told himself fiercely.</p>
<p>"Uh. You know Roy?"</p>
<p>Jason closed his eyes behind the helmet. <i>Great job, Todd.</i></p>
<p>"We've met," Bruce replied, deadpan.</p>
<p>"Yeah. Of course." Jason bit his lip. "He asked me to marry him. Well, sort of. That is, I'm going to. Marry him, I mean."</p>
<p>"Congratulations," Bruce rumbled when the flood of pointless words petered out.</p>
<p>It wasn't sarcastic, or hostile. It also wasn't particularly enthused. Jason wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.</p>
<p>He pushed forward. "We're just going to do it at City Hall in Star," he said. "I'm going to adopt Lian too, while we're there. It won't be anything big, but...you could come. If you have time."</p>
<p>"I'll be there," Bruce said.</p>
<p>Jason frowned. "I didn't tell you when it was."</p>
<p>Bruce turned to look at him. "I'll be there."</p>
<p>"Oh." Jason looked down at the Italian restaurant, chewed at the inside of his cheek to fight a smile that Bruce wouldn't have been able to see anyway. "Okay. Thanks."</p>
<p>Another minute ticked by. Two. Jason told himself to leave it alone.</p>
<p>Jason was terrible at leaving things alone.</p>
<p>"I know you haven't always liked Roy..."</p>
<p>"He makes you happy." The last word was barely higher in pitch than the others, but Jason knew Bruce well enough to be able to tell when he was asking a question without asking a question. He nodded. "Then I like him fine."</p>
<p>Jason chewed at his cheek again. "Right."</p>
<p>Before the silence could stretch out into awkwardness again, Jason spotted three very familiar Coast City faces heading for the Italian restaurant. "That's them," he said, rising out of his crouch.</p>
<p>Bruce did too, reaching for the grapple at his belt. "There <i>is</i> one thing you should consider," he said.</p>
<p>"What?" Jason asked, trying to bite back his irritation. He knew how to take down a handful of wise guys without some last minute condescending Bat-advice.</p>
<p>Bruce fired his grapple. "If you do this, you'll be stuck being related to Oliver," said, and jumped off the roof.</p>
<p>Jason blinked. That had been an actual <i>joke.</i></p>
<p>He fired his own grapple and gave up fighting his smile. "Yeah, well, we all make sacrifices," he said over the comms so that Bruce could hear him, and followed his father off the roof.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Roy was awoken from a sound sleep by his cell phone ringing. He flopped a hand into his nightstand to grab it and squinted at the screen before swiping to answer. "Hey, babe."</p>
<p>"Did I wake you?"</p>
<p>Roy closed his eyes, leaving the phone snuggled up next to his cheek on the pillow. "Mm. Told you to call. How'd it go?" It was just after midnight, which meant three back in Gotham—right around the end of patrol.</p>
<p>"Got 'em." Jason's voice was satisfied and Roy curled around the sound, pleased. "Their lawyers will get them out in a day or two, but we got the weapons <i>and</i> the blueprints, so at least they have to go back to the Stone Age for a little while."</p>
<p>"That's my Jaybird," Roy said. "And the other thing?"</p>
<p>Jason let out a shaky breath. "It was good. He was...it was good."</p>
<p>"So I should cancel my flight out to Gotham to shoot Batman in the neck?" Roy mumbled, and Jason laughed. "Seriously, though, I'm really glad. Are you at the Manor now?"</p>
<p>"One of my safe houses," Jason said. "I just couldn't...it was a lot. It was good, but I don't have the energy for the whole..."</p>
<p>"Sibling gauntlet. I know," Roy said. "But he's coming?"</p>
<p>"Once we set a date, yeah," Jason said. "And hey, I was thinking...it's dinner at Ollie's tomorrow night, right? Well, tonight, technically. It’s the next day already here."</p>
<p>"Yeah." Ollie and Dinah hosted a weekly dinner for the whole family—which really just meant that Roy, Jason, and Lian came over, since everyone else already lived there.</p>
<p>"Why don't you just tell them all? Or let Lian do it, she's probably bursting to tell."</p>
<p>Roy frowned, eyes still closed. "You sure? I know you didn't want..."</p>
<p>"It's okay. It's gonna come out soon enough anyway, and I know you want them there."</p>
<p>"Yeah, but that doesn't mean—"</p>
<p>"And <i>I</i> want whatever's gonna make you happy, so quit arguing already," Jason interrupted.</p>
<p>Roy tilted his smile into the pillow. "You big sap."</p>
<p>"Yeah, and you better not tell anyone," Jason retorted, then yawned.</p>
<p>"Are you in bed?"</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>"Good." Roy's fingers curled around the edge of the sheet. "I miss you."</p>
<p>"You, too. I'll be home the day after tomorrow. Kiss the munchkin for me when you get up."</p>
<p>"I will. Give Dick a big sloppy wet one from me."</p>
<p>"Absolutely not."</p>
<p>Roy laughed. "Night, Jaybird. Love you."</p>
<p>"Night, babe. Love you, too."</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Dinner at Ollie's was always a raucous affair. Roy watched Connor show Lian how to twirl her spaghetti around her fork more effectively and listened to the girls bicker good-naturedly while Ollie ranted about the Star City council's latest budgetary scandal, and marveled at the miracle that Jason was actually willing to marry into this circus.</p>
<p>The conversation got a little quieter as plates got emptier and his family descended into a mild carb stupor. When they were down to lingering over the last bites and the girls had moved on to arguing over whose turn it was to do the dishes, Roy gave Lian a gentle nudge.</p>
<p>"You want to tell them the big news, bug?" he asked. He and Jason had sworn Lian to secrecy originally, and she'd been thrilled when Roy had told her on the way over to Ollie's that she could spill the beans tonight.</p>
<p>"Yeah!" she said, dropping her fork with a clatter that made everyone look over at her.</p>
<p>"What news, Lian?" Emiko asked. Dinah raised an eyebrow at Roy, and he nodded imperceptibly.</p>
<p>"Daddy and Uncle Jay are getting married and Uncle Jay's gonna adopt me and I'm getting a new dress and we're gonna have cake!" Lian declared breathlessly.</p>
<p>Everyone looked at Roy. "You're engaged? Since when?" Emiko demanded.</p>
<p>"Jason is super hot, way to lock it down," Mia said.</p>
<p>"Please tell me this doesn't mean bridesmaid dresses," Cissie said.</p>
<p>"Congratulations, Roy," Connor, Roy's only normal sibling, offered.</p>
<p>Dinah beamed at Roy from the other end of the table. And Ollie...</p>
<p>Ollie frowned at Roy, then pushed his chair back and left the room without a word.</p>
<p>Roy's stomach dropped. He'd been worried Bruce would be an asshole to Jason about the wedding, but he'd expected nothing worse than some good-natured ribbing from Ollie. Maybe a warning about Jason's violent past. He hadn't expected to be flat-out rejected.</p>
<p>An awkward silence settled over the table, all the more palpable for how unusual silence was in this house at all. Roy looked at Dinah, who gave him a sympathetic wince and a shrug.</p>
<p>"Maybe he just remembered a...a phone call he has to make?" Connor suggested.</p>
<p>That was obviously not what had happened, but Roy appreciated his brother's attempt at finding an excuse for Ollie's behavior that wasn't hating Jason and all of Roy's choices. "Sure, maybe," he said, his throat tight.</p>
<p>"Uh, so, Lian, what color dress do you want?" Cissie asked.</p>
<p>Lian glanced uncertainly at Roy, clearly picking up on the tension. He forced a smile and she started chattering about her favorite colors, a little less enthusiastically than she would have normally. Roy fought the urge to turn and look in the direction Ollie had disappeared.</p>
<p>Dinah tsked and crumpled her napkin up, dropping it on the table and standing up. "This is ridiculous, I'm going to go see what—Oliver!"</p>
<p>Ollie walked back into the room holding a small box and took his seat at the head of the table, next to Roy. Roy had sat at Ollie's right hand for as long as he could remember. If he had to choose between Ollie and Jason...</p>
<p>It would be Jason. But Roy didn't want it to come to that.</p>
<p>"My parents had a safety deposit box at Star City National," Ollie said, and Roy blinked. Whatever he'd been expecting Ollie to say, it hadn't been that. "When I was a kid I thought they were worried about thieves, but in retrospect they were probably more worried that some secret society or other would blow up the house. Which, considering how often our home has been blown up, was probably a pretty logical worry."</p>
<p>"Okay...?" Roy said. He wasn't sure where this was going, but it didn't sound like Ollie was gearing up to withhold his blessing.</p>
<p>"Emi and I went through the box a few months ago," Ollie went on. "Dad was her father too, even if she never really got to know him. Hell, turns out <i>I</i> didn't really know him, but that's beside the point. Anyway, we talked about what we wanted to do with the things he'd left to me, where they should all go." He glanced up at Emiko, who no longer looked mystified, even if all of this still seemed to be news to the rest of the family. She was smiling at Roy—a little sadly, maybe, but Roy figured discussion of her terrible dead dad merited a little sadness.</p>
<p>Ollie pushed the box over to Roy. It was flat and rectangular, with an ornate monogram stamped on the lid. "This belonged to my grandfather. Ornery old cuss. He would have liked you."</p>
<p>Roy lifted the lid off the box to reveal a gold watch, one he would have clocked as an heirloom even if Ollie hadn't just said it belonged to a man old enough to be Roy's great-grandfather—no. To the man who <i>was</i> Roy's great-grandfather.</p>
<p>"Ollie," he said softly.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, Con, there's something for you, too," Ollie said, turning to his left-hand side and squeezing Connor's shoulder. "The girls, too. I hadn't decided when I wanted to pass it all along, but a wedding seems like a pretty good occasion."</p>
<p>Roy took the watch out of the box. It was heavy, solid workmanship of a century past, with the initials "J. Q." engraved on the back: Jonas Queen. The hands weren't moving.</p>
<p>"It needs to be wound, and set to the correct time," Ollie said. "I know no one in your generation wears watches anymore, and you probably already built some kind of doohickey in your dumb visor that tells you the time, but you know, it's tradition. I mean, my old man was pretty lousy, but I guess you know what that's like, too, huh? You don't have to keep it if you don't want—"</p>
<p>"Hey, Ollie?" Roy interrupted, sliding the watch onto his wrist and snapping the clasp shut.</p>
<p>"Yeah?"</p>
<p>Roy leaned over and slung an arm around Ollie's neck, an awkward seated half-hug that at least had the benefit of hiding his face in Ollie's shoulder. "Shut up, Dad."</p>
<p>"Awww, that's gross," Mia cooed as Emiko and Cissie made gagging noises.</p>
<p>Ollie's hand came up to thump Roy on the back. "You're welcome, fella," he said. "Congratulations."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ollie is referring to the fact that as of the New 52/Rebirth, both of his parents were revealed to have faked their deaths (unbeknownst to each other) as part of their memberships in unrelated ancient secret societies. Also they were both having affairs with (different) archery-themed assassins. Emiko is the result of Robert's affair with Shado. Anyway Robert's dead for real now which is good because he sucked (he stranded Ollie on an island and tortured him because he didn't like archery enough). Moira at least is interestingly complicated.</p>
<p>Fun fact: pre-52, Ollie's parents were eaten by lions. #comics</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://pluckyredhead.tumblr.com/">Come say hi on tumblr!</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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